The Professor
by Gwathren
Summary: Nick and Natalie settle into a new life, meet some old friends, and save fan fiction. Now Broken into chapters...for easier reading.Review, or i will HUNT you down! :)
1. Default Chapter

My French Professor is a Vampire

Series by Agarwaen

randomnessguru@yahoo.com                    

Series

Rated: PG

Characters from Forever Knight do not belong to me. I am just borrowing them for a little while. I promise to return them mainly unharmed. Any characters that don't belong to FK belong to me. Please ask my permission if you want to use them or anything about my series. As far as I know this is pretty original therefore it belongs to me. So please ask. Thanks

Additional note on the text:

Psst....don't tell anyone but I have never been to New York.. Don't ask why I chose that as a location, but if I mess something up just put it down to Artistic License. I also took some liberties with the characters.....Nick is never Happy in the series so I had the theorize how he would act as a happy person. Hmm...just trust that in my little Universe, everything is absolutely correct.

Comments and chocolates are welcome! Mainly comments……

Just email me at

Randomnessguru@yahoo.com

Here goes nothing...

My French professor is a Vampire.                                  (February 2003)

Part One:

The introduction.

Dear Grace,

            "I hardly know where to begin... So much has changed. I've changed more than I care to dwell on. But as usual there are those few things that never seem to change. No matter what happens you can always count on them to stay the same. Like my Nick, well I guess its Nicholas now. In some ways he has changed too but mostly he is still my Nick. I still love him so much! Listen to me, sitting here talking your ears off! I guess I should get on with the story. There were a few unpleasant things we had to go through before everything started to get better again. I use the words Unpleasant Things very lightly. Maybe some time I can tell you about them but it is an old story about a boy, his greatest friend, a big stake and something about a peach or an empty box or something. Anyhow that is all in the past now. Things worked out the way they should have. The boy lived and his girlfriend did too, well, sort of. And they went on to live happily, forever.  Well, sort of."

Natalie sat back and tapped her pen on the table. Then she slapped the table in earnest and crumpled up the letter. She made it in the trashcan in just one shot.

"Practice makes perfect," she muttered.

It was a letter she had started a dozen times. She knew that contact with her last life was strictly forbidden. Nick had made that very clear. Being a vampire meant moving from life to life without leaving ripples. She never really intended to send the letters, not really. She just missed her friends.  She loved her life now with Nick and had no intention of ruining that by some silly mortal need for closure. No clinging to mortal friends; it was easier that way, well, sort of. 

"Natalie?" Nick called from the kitchen, "Did you get that delivery yesterday?"

"Yeah, it should be by the refrigerator!" Natalie called back, smiling to herself  he may be an immortal but he is still such a guy, can't find a thing.

Natalie pushed her chair away from the desk and sauntered over to the kitchen in their relatively modest apartment. The entire home consisted of two bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen. "If we are going to be living on such a 'modest salary' we need to at least act the part." 

"Are you almost ready for your first day Nicky boy?"

Nick looked up with a boyish grin. He smoothed his blond curls with a hand. He was wearing his hair longer now. It made him look even more like a mischievous boy then before. She was almost sure she heard him chuckle.

"If you go around smiling like that they might discover you for the little imp you are!" Natalie giggled. 

"I thought that was what you found so charming about me!"

"Well, I will admit, you certainly look cute as an imp...."

"Seriously Nat, do think I look all right like this?"  Nick backed away from Natalie and gave a slow turn.  He was wearing a deep crimson dress shirt and stylish black pants, and over all of it he wore a long black coat. His blond curls just grazed his shoulders and his blue eyes sparkled with private mirth.

Natalie cocked her head to the side and gave him an appraising look, "You look good enough to eat!"

Nick growled softly then reached across and encircled her waist with his arms, pulling her close and pressing them together. He smiled down at her with that grin and bent to nuzzle her neck.

"Nick! There's no time for that....Nick!" Giggling she pushed him away, reluctantly. 

"You need to eat before you go, wouldn't want you snacking on a student."

Nick groaned and gave Natalie a skeptical look. 

"Don't give me that look! Did you find the bottles we got yesterday?"

Nick stole one last look at her and sighed dejectedly.

"I suppose I should try to behave," Then he added in a heavy French accent, "at least until after work!"  

Then Nick lunged at Natalie; they chased each other laughing around the small apartment until Nick finally caught Nat up in a more then friendly kiss. 

"I much prefer this to all that brooding you used to do!" Natalie added when she came up for breath. 

Nick looked sad for a moment and then his face broke into a smile again. 

"I don't think I should be late for work in the first day. Fooling around is definitely not an excuse, that is, unless you would be willing to write a Doctor's Note? Well, Dr. Brabant?"

"Now you really will have to hurry you scoundrel. Here, I poured you a flask for lunch." 

"Thank you dear. I shall see you after work." Nick gave Natalie a chaste kiss and hurried out the door. 

Natalie watched him disappear out the door but she could still feel his excitement through their link. He was happier now then he had been in a while. 

Natalie collapsed on the couch then thought better of it and rose to go get a drink. She meandered into the kitchen and noticed the untouched crate by the refrigerator. Darn fool was so excited he forgot to eat. Glad I gave him that flask.  She sighed and began prying the lid of the crate. The lid came away easily and she gazed delighted down at the contents. This sure beats grocery shopping every week! Natalie grabbed a bottle and a glass from the cupboard and headed back to the couch. Once she was situated she poured herself a glass of the rich red liquid. Taking a tentative sip she took a moment to savor the taste. Blood, human of course. Nick and Nat were sure to acquire blood that was not collected at the cost of lives.  Nick had lost his affinity for steer blood after that night at his loft. He had lost many things. He no longer sought mortality but that had not dampened his morality. He still sought to redeem himself but he was no longer above enjoying the pleasure of being a vampire. Another thing that Nick had lost was his reflection, such a trivial thing in the long run but Natalie could sense what that loss had truly meant to Nick.

He had spent centuries of his life trying to regain mortality. All it took was one fateful night to send him back to exactly where he started. At least she had been able to forgive him for never following her advice about giving up blood. A mortal just could not understand the consuming desire, no, hunger they had for the stuff. It had scared her until Nick had taught her how to control her Beast, and how to shift her focus and let the Hunger become background noise. They had stayed away from mortals until Nick thought she had enough control and then they had started planning for this life. They had leased an apartment and in no time Nick had become Professor Nicholas de Brabant at NYU and she had bought an empty building not far away. She was currently working on renovating the building and soon it would serve as their home and her little shop. 

Natalie smiled. It was amazing what you could do when you had almost unlimited funds at your disposal. She had bought a two-story building like it was nothing. She was greatly looking forward to being able to play house on the top floor and setting up her own coffee shop on the ground floor. She would never tell Nick this but she was really looking forward to opening N&N coffee shop. Nat didn't want Nick to get his hopes up when she wasn't even sure if it would be a success. If his hopes were crushed she didn't know how he would react, his new happiness seemed too fragile yet. Of course, there was always the possibility that her dream would be exposed when they shared blood, but she always made sure that he was suitably distracted by…..other things.....so he didn't have time to think on some of the little clues her blood may reveal.

But she still couldn't help but feel excited when she thought that maybe, just maybe, it could be a haven like the Raven had been, but for creatures of the night like Nick and Nat who no longer wanted to live at the expense of mortals. It was an impossible dream but then she was an impossibility, a vampire. 

Natalie closed her eyes and concentrated on the bond between her and Nick. She could sense his joy and nervousness over his first day as a teacher again. Then she felt his love for her and contentment as he sensed her along their link. 

Natalie opened her eyes and smiled. She walked over to the window and looked up at the sky. The last rays of the sun had disappeared from the sky. Nat walked over to the door and threw on her coat. It was time to go and see how much they had accomplished at the building today and clean up some of the last minute details. By any luck, her store would be ready to open by the beginning of next week and they would be able to start moving in, in just a few days.


	2. Chapter Two

If it hadn't been unbecoming for a Vampire to skip, Nick was sure he would be virtually frolicking down the hallway. His still heart would have been beating like a rabbit's if he had been mortal. A torrent of emotions was tumbling through him. He was so excited to be among mortals again, teaching! It had been such a blow when he was forced to leave his job in the 1950's when he had been charged as being a communist. Now he was back again! But he couldn't help feeling scared. What if something went wrong? What if he couldn't teach anymore? What if someone recognized him? It had not been that long since Nick had lived in New York, it had been only 50 years ago, not all that long when you are immortal. Some of his younger mortal acquaintances could still be living. He usually waited at least a century before living in the same city twice but he knew Natalie wanted to become a part of the world again and he chose some place that he thought she would find exciting. He felt drawn to New York, like this was the pace he needed to be. And here I am...a teacher again! Nick smiled, it felt good to smile again.

Nick made his way through the hallways with ease. He had only been in this university a few times but his perfect memory meant that he could remember the way around without much difficulty. He quickly located the language arts building and stepped through the double doors.......right into another teacher who was hurrying through the doors.

Papers and various pens slid across the room and a very young and worried looking man nearly joined his papers on the floor.

"Oh my Gosh! I am so sorry. I wasn't even looking! Haste only leads to delays! I should have known that!" the young man mumbled hastily.

Nick smiled and remembering to use his French accent quickly added. "That's quite all right. Looks like something I might do myself."

"Hah! Too true friend, how oft do find men's faults within us." Then the young man extended his hand. "I'm Darius Hamlin, that is, English Professor Hamlin, blah blah, and so on. Youngest teacher at this school, well, second youngest I guess. You must be the new French Professor and I hear tell you are at least a month younger than me." Darius winked conspiratorially. 

The vampire checked his watch…Just five minutes until my class starts!

Nick smiled again, if I am not careful that could become a habit, He accepted Darius's hand, "I look forward to running into you again, though perhaps, next time not so literally."

"Yes, yes! But first, If you wouldn't mind..." Darius gestured despondently at the mess of papers and supplies that covered the floor. "The students will be arriving soon and I still need to run out to my car. Can you help me get this stuff picked up right fast?"

"Certainly." Nick genuinely liked this young man. He stooped to help him collect his papers and warned himself not to let his guard down and become careless. Then his memory was drawn back to a time long ago......

 He was so absorbed in his thoughts that Nick didn't see a pile of papers and pens by his feet and when he moved his feet slid out from under him and the ancient Vampire found himself in a very graceless sprawl on the ground. 

If he had been capable of blushing, Nick was sure he would have been glowing, especially after he heard a burst of laughter from behind him. 

"Aren't we a pair! Not an ounce of grace between us!" Nick glanced back at Darius and couldn't help but chuckle. Here they were, both sprawled out on the floor amongst a pile of loose papers, pens, and other assorted items.

"This was not exactly what I had planned for the first day at work. I will tell you that." Nick replied, again using his heavy French accent. 

They both collapsed into laughter. It sure felt good to laugh again! I am glad I finally got rid of that troublesome suitcase of guilt!

Nick had clung to his pain for so long he had almost forgotten what it felt like to live. It did feel wonderful to laugh again and not feel guilty. It felt good to Feel again!

By the time Nick and Darius had collected their wits enough to stand again they were faced with at least two dozen students who had arrived for their night class and found two professors lying on the floor and laughing. Nick and Darius both resisted bursting into another fit of laughter after they saw the look on their faces. Nick rose first and dusted off his long black coat, then helped Darius gain his feet as well.

"Hey, Professor Hamlin, you all right?" 

"Yes, yes. Just testing the uhh....new floor wax"

"Yes of course, the new floor wax..." Nick replied in a superior French accent, then he threw a wink at Darius, "It was nice making your acquaintance Professor Hamlin, I look forward to meeting you again soon." Then Nick gave a very regal bow, which Darius tried to return but of course failed.

"Come on, get onto your classes!" 

"See you later, Darius."

With a swirl of his coat, Nick spun and disappeared down a hallway before Darius had a chance to mention that he didn't even know Nick's name. 


	3. Chapter three

Nick's classes went smoothly without any hitch. He had stepped into the role of Nicholas de Brabant, French Professor, effortlessly. Of course, he got a little hungry after the first hour but a couple swigs from his handy flask helped. Besides, his century long fast had had one plus, Nick's control was now near perfect. In fact, he had better control then most of the Elders who were thousands of years older then he was. 

Nick shuffled some of his papers and jammed them into a folder. 

"I need to start bringing a briefcase" he muttered to himself.

Nick stood and stretched, it was nearly midnight. He had been busy grading the preliminary test he had given his students. It was always a good idea to know what knowledge of French they already had. Of course, it had not made him any friends, but it was amazing how easily he had resumed to role of Professor.  Tomorrow he had a European history class, too bad there was not enough demand for French classes to have more then two a week. He enjoyed throwing in archaic expressions to boggle his students. 

An imp indeed! Nick chuckled softly to himself. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his connection with Natalie. She was excited and a little frustrated, Natalie was complaining to the general manager at her new shop, apparently the chairs they had ordered did not match the rest of the décor. Nick opened his eyes and shook his head. "I think Nat is enjoying my bank account way too much." He sighed softly to himself. Then he put the finishing touches on his last paper and pushed his chair away from his desk. Stretching again, Nick stood and grabbed his coat then stalked noiselessly out into the hallway. 

"Professor!"

Nick turned around to see Darius running down the hall, his case, filled with papers again, was clutched protectively against his chest and his coat was trailing behind him. 

"Darius, how nice to see you again, what are you doing here this late?" 

"Oh, I never sleep anyway, better to get some extra work done. You know I never caught your name!"

"Oh, excuse me, I am Nicholas." Nick again gave a lordly bow.

"Nicholas, is Nick okay?"

"Certainly. Do you need some help?"

Darius was balancing his case in one hand and attempting to get on his coat with the other. Nick could only imagine what it would be like if he had to help organize that mess again.  

"Yes! Please."

Nick grabbed the case, just as it started to fall. 

"Nice reflexes Nick"

"Thank you."  Nick smiled politely at Darius. 

Now free of his extra burden Darius quickly slung on his heavy coat and retrieved to case from Nick.

"Where are you headed now, Nick?"

Nick concentrated on his link with Natalie and decided it was best to leave her alone for the time being. After only a small hesitation Nick replied,

"Actually, I have no place in particular to go, I was thinking of just heading home."

"No! It's too early to go home. Why don't you come with me and we can catch up on an overdue dinner, maybe I can give you a few pointers after your first day on the job."

"Thank you for the invitation but I am not really hungry."

"Fine, you don't have to eat but please come. No one I know is as much a night person as I am. It'd be nice to have someone to talk to who is coherent after midnight."

Nick couldn't help it, he found himself smiling again. "Yes, you could say I am something of a night person. I will come, just as long as you don't expect me to eat anything." 


	4. Chapter Four

Natalie had been arguing with the general contractor for the last hour and a half. He was convinced that the chairs that had just come in were the ones she had ordered. However, with her now perfect memory, Natalie knew he was wrong. The trouble was convincing him of the truth. She was a breath away from whamming him into compliance when the man finally relented.

"Maybe I may have made a mistake, sorry ma'am. I guess I will reorder the chairs but it will cost you, and it may take some time..."

Natalie looked him right in the eyes and made sure he was listening very carefully. "It won't cost me a thing, you made the mistake and you better fix it before the scheduled grand opening in two days or we'll see if you get paid anything."

"Yes ma'am" the man replied with a dead-pan stare. 

Natalie turned on her heels and stalked away, laughing softly. There were definitely some advantages to this.


	5. Chapter Five

Darius's glass made a thud when it hit the table but both men were doubled over with laughter and hardly noticed.

"So, here I was, wearing high heels, a dress, make up and a wig and face to face with the prettiest girl in school! I was so stunned I could barely gather enough wits to try and play it off!"

Darius had to pause and catch his breath before he continued again.

"It was horrible, needless to say, I never went trick-or-treating again. That had to be the most embarrassing moment of childhood!"

"That must have been mortifying! How ever did you, 'play it off'?"

"I think I mumbled something about trick-or-treating with my sister, but I was stuttering so bad, I seriously doubt she understood anything I said." Darius paused to sip his drink. "Okay, I shared. Now it is your turn Nick. What was the most embarrassing moment of your childhood?"

Nick shook his head. If only he knew what he was really asking!  

"Just a moment, childhood was so long ago! Did you want anything else to eat while I think about it?"

Nick had never seen a man devour as much food as Darius had in such a short time. A plate of fried chicken and mash potatoes had disappeared in the first fifteen minutes. A salad, a pot of coffee, another order of mash potatoes and two slices of cheesecake later, Nick was almost certain that Darius had either not eaten in at least a week, or that Nick himself was more out of touch with the average human meal size then he ever dreamed possible.

"Well, now that you mention it..." at the shocked look on Nick's face, Darius chuckled. "I'm just kidding you. I always forget to eat so when I do remember I always try to stock up." Darius was rewarded with a puzzled look from his companion. "If you had my memory you'd understand. So I shared, your turn."

Nick pushed his chair back from the table and closed his eyes, thinking back. 

"I couldn't have been more then 16 at the time if I remember correctly. It was about a girl of course."

"The best stories always are."

Nick nodded his agreement and continued. "I was so smitten. Terribly in love like only a teenager can be. Anyway, she was the daughter of the blacksmith in my vil....town.  Quite a formidable fellow who had already told me in a very clear manner that I was to stay away from his daughter if I valued my life."

"He could really do that! I mean, just order people to stay away from his daughter? That's crazy."

"Not crazy, this was a different time and in a different country. A father could do anything he wanted where his daughters were concerned." 

"Jeez. I didn't know people were like that over in France."

"Belgium and this was a long time ago. I'm older then I look you know. Now may I continue?"

"Yeah, sorry"

"Anyhow, her birthday was approaching and I was feeling every bit like a rebellious teenager so I decided that I was going to go to her despite her father's warnings. I spent weeks learning a beautiful love song to sing to her and I think I even made her a small figurine of a beautiful horse as a gift."

"Your were 16 and you didn't get her anything but a....."

"AHEM!! Do you want to hear my story or not?"

"Sorry, curious."

"As I was saying. The night of her birthday came and I had everything ready. As soon as the sun set I snuck out of my ca...house and made my way towards her home. I waited outside her window until I was sure everyone in the house was asleep and then I crept in through her open window."

Darius opened his mouth to speak but Nick beat him to it. "It was summer and there was no air-conditioning, everyone left their windows open. Satisfied?"

After Darius offered a nod Nick continued, "Visions of her sweet face and golden hair danced in my mind. I was so distracted by my imagination that I came through the window and tripped over a chest that was beneath it. When I fell I smashed a bottle of her perfume and got it in my eyes. Here I was, visions of love vanishing from my mind, with perfume all over me and in my eyes and I had knocked over the chest, creating an awful noise!" Nick stopped to wait while Darius chocked on his cheesecake crust.

"Somewhere amid the blind panic I got up enough sense to try and leave before the Smith carried on his threats. But as soon as I stood I tripped again over the same chest and flew head long onto the bed with her. No, even better, on top of her and to make things worse, my tunic had gotten snagged on the bed frame, tearing it when I flew onto the bed."

Darius was making a strange hiccupping sound so Nick paused while he recovered.

"As usual, the smith chose that moment to come and see what all the noise was about. You can well imagine what he saw. Me with my tunic torn, laying on the bed with his daughter, who by now had woken up enough to realize what was happening and was drawing breath for a scream. Needless to say, even with my blurred vision I managed to make it back to my ca...house in record time, of course, the smith behind brandishing his sw...shotgun could have been motivation."

Nick looked at Darius, "It wasn't really all that funny. I actually think it was kind of sad."

"It's not the story." Darius managed to squeak out, "I was imagining you in a tunic!"

"I don't think that's very funny! I look pretty darn good in a tunic if you ask me!"

"Let's hope I never have to."

"I'd drink to that."

"Speaking of drink, you haven't touched your coffee."

Nick look despondently down at his cold coffee. 

"I don't drink...........coffee."


	6. Chapter six

The dream was a familiar one. He had had it so many times since that night. I wasn't really a dream so much as a memory of his and Natalie's last night in Toronto.

"Damn you Nicholas!"

The tip of the stake hovered over Nick's back and then began to make its fatal plunge, but at the last moment, Nick heard the stake clatter to the floor. 

Nicholas spun around to face his sire. "Lacroix please! I am serious about this request."

"As I am serious in refusing you! I will not let you allow this opportunity to slip from you! You are allowing your misplaced morality to cloud your judgment. Why suffer as I have suffered! Bring her across, save yourself my pain."

"Just this once Lacroix, can you please stop your lying tongue and grant me my request, give me the death you stole from me long ago."

"Fine Nicholas, yell all you wish. But, remember every moment you delay, your beloved slips further away from you."

Nick bared his teeth and lunged at the stake still lying on the ground. "If you will not do it then I will." Nick lifted the stake but was stopped by a calm, unexpected statement from Lacroix.

"If you ever did that Nicholas, I can say without hesitation that I would greet the sun the very next day."

"What?" Nicholas asked puzzled by such emotion from his sire.

"You heard me Nicholas." Lacroix turned his head but to late to hide the single blood tear. 

Nicholas reached for his sire but staggered when he suddenly felt Lacroix lower the walls around their link. Pain, sadness, longing, love, regret, they all bombarded his senses. Nick saw himself through his master's eyes. A beloved son, a child he would never be able to have. He felt the stab of pain that Lacroix felt every time that Nicholas cursed him. He felt the way that Lacroix still longed for the love of Fleur, even after all these years. 

"Lacroix....Father....." Nick saw Lacroix flinch when he spoke like he expected a rebuke but blocked his pain from crossing their newly strengthened link. But, he was unable to block the surprise he felt when Nick caught Lacroix in a tight hug. The Ancient at first did not know what to do but soon his heart remembered and he returned Nick's embrace. After what seemed an eternity, Lacroix pushed Nicholas away. 

"Nicholas, I release you from your debt."

"What?"

"Didn't you hear me? I release you from your debt. I cannot bear to rob you of any more then I already have."

"Lacroix., you..."

"Please Nicholas, my son, Natalie slips away even as we speak, already we may be too late."

Nick reached up and wiped away a blood tear as it trailed down Lacroix's cheek.

"Hurry Nicholas!"

"Thank you Father."

"You are welcome my son."

Nick heard the wind as Lacroix disappeared, then he hurried to Natalies's side. Already her heart was slowing but when he offered her his blood and called her back she responded quickly. 

"Wake my Natalie. My lover. My new daughter."

===========

Natalie knew he was dreaming as she watched his face as he slept. Lightly, she traced the lines of his face and every one of his blond curls with her fingers. She watched as those lines deepened like he was in pain, then he stirred, mumbling something in French. Like cool fingers, she allowed her calm to spread along their bond. She felt his distress lessen and then disappear as her love forced his memory to relent. She continued to trace her fingers through his hair as he fell back into a dreamless sleep.

"Goodnight my eternal lover."

The first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon and as Natalie lay back down beside Nick she thought quietly to herself. It is such a shame I had to face death before I could truly live.

Then she felt Nick wrap his arms around her and hold her tight beside him and the breath of an answer blew gently through their bond My thoughts exactly.


	7. Chapter Seven

With a sigh Natalie wiped at the dust that had collected on her shirt and reached out to straighten the last picture she had put on the wall. She nearly tripped over all the empty boxes when she tried to maneuver herself out of the room. Thanks to her new speed she had gotten nearly all the boxes unpacked in record time. She only had one room left to go and then their new home would be complete. 

Thankful for her new strength Natalie collected all the empty packing boxes then she had just avoiding tripping on and heaved them out of the way with all the other crates and boxes. Then she sauntered over to the last remaining crates and used a rag to clear the dust over their labels. The first box she came to was marked "candles." Natalie smiled broadly and carried it to the last room.

"Oh, this is going to be so good!" Natalie exclaimed to the empty apartment.


	8. Chapter Eight

Natalie flinched when she heard another crash coming from behind her. "Be careful with that stuff would you!"

The clumsy mover quickly re-shouldered his burden and mumbled an apology before heading with his burden up the stairs. Natalie was beginning to wonder if she should have moved the things from the apartment to the flat above her coffee shop by herself. It certainly would have been better cared for. 

"Careful with that!" Natalie yelled just in time to save another of her boxes from being rammed into the doorframe. 

Natalie finally relaxed as she saw the rest of her boxes had been moved safely up the stairs. She watched as the movers strolled calmly across her new carpet with hopelessly grimy boots. Good thing I put down plastic! It always paid to be a cautious business owner. The rest of the movers filed out and Natalie nodded farewell before shutting the door behind them. She turned and rested the back of her head against the door, looking around them room she took in her new home. 

At least she had been able to move some of the more fragile boxes from their place in storage without any human assistance. But, she had special plans for those and she wasn't going to trust just anyone with their contents. 

Her coffee shop was finished. The sleek counters and comfortable furniture was all in place. She could smell the fresh leather and sawdust. Natalie quickly stooped and removed the plastic protecting her carpet. Everything was almost ready for her and Nick's first night in their new flat. Just one more thing to take care of! And with a slight giggle Natalie nearly ran up the stairs to start unpacking.


	9. Chapter Nine

Nick groaned inwardly once again. 

"No, the Crusaders are not a band. How many times must I say that?"

Nick had serious thoughts about just whamming this student into agreement. The student in question was now redoubling her efforts to drive him mad by smacking her gum even harder then before and twirling her fingers around a lock of blond hair that he could have sworn looked and sounded like dry straw. Nick turned and walked slowly back to his desk, counting to ten under his breath and continuing his lesson as best he could. When he turned back to face the class the girl had her hand up again, her manicured fingers waving in the air like spider's legs. Maybe I should tell her to eat while I am at it. He thought quietly to himself. Nick did his best to thoroughly ignore her until a shrill voice thwarted his efforts. 

"Professor Brabant? I have a question!"

"Yes?"

"Umm.....If the crusaders wanted Jerusalem....how come they don't own it now?"

Nick clasped his hands firmly behind him...Must not hit students, must not hit students..... He looked at his watch and checked the clock on the wall. Oh Thank God.

"You are all dismissed, have pages 78-120 read by next class and be ready to discuss."

Nick sighed inwardly and pinched the bridge of his nose as the students filed out of the room. 

"Long night?" quipped a familiar voice from behind him.

"Darius!" Nick spun around to face his friend. "No, ignorance can just be tiresome sometimes."

"Tell me about it. Are you ready to go?"

"Go?"

"Yeah, don't you remember? You were going to keep me company again while I ate."

"Oh yes! Terribly sorry but last class distressed me somewhat. Of course, I am ready to go."

"All right, maybe I can get you to eat something this time. They really do have wonderful mashed potatoes."

Nick hid a grimace. "No, I am really not that hungry. I'll just have something when I get home..."

"You really should eat something, you don't look very good."

"That's exactly what my wife used to say." Nick chuckled and collected his coat. Then he and Darius strolled laughing towards the restaurant.


	10. Chapter ten

Nick was again amazed at the sheer quantity of food that Darius consumed. 

"Your wife must have a hard time cooking enough for you." Nick said jokingly.

"Mmph......" Nick winced as he heard Darius swallow his most recent helping of chicken. "Not really. I eat out a lot so she doesn't really have to cook too much. I work late and she works during the day so our schedules don't always overlap conveniently enough for a meal together."

Then Darius stopped eating and looked at Nick questioningly, "How did you know I was married?" 

Nick could smell a woman's perfume on Darius's clothes but of course there was no way to explain that without some awkward maneuvering so he simply gestured at the gold band on Darius's finger.

"Oh yeah....... I forgot about the ring." Darius looked down at his food and began to twirl his ring unconsciously. Nick saw tears begin to gather in Darius's eyes. 

"Did something happen?" Nick asked softly in response to this sudden change in his friend. But, instead of answering Darius seemed to snap out of where ever he had gone and the spark of amusement returned to his eyes. Although this time, Nick could tell it was just a mask.

"So, Nick....I never figured you for the marrying type. What does your lady think of your schedule?"

Nick felt uneasy about what he had just seen and Darius's obvious avoidance of the subject did not help calm Nick's screaming instincts. You didn't live for 800 years without learning to tell when someone is hiding something. But, he kept all this to himself. Mimicking Darius and allowing the amusement to return to his eyes as well Nick replied, "Oh! We are both nightowls. That's how we met actually." Nick chuckled softly and continued, "She is opening a coffee-shop not far from here. I think she decided to call it N&N's café or something. The grand opening is tomorrow night."

"Really! Well, we shall have to go there tomorrow after work instead of this place. I would love to meet your wife!"

"Why don't you bring your lady as well." Nick watched Darius for a reaction but only saw his usual amused expression, puzzled, Nick continued, "That is if her schedule would permit. Natalie has not had to time to meet many people since we moved here and I think she would enjoy meeting you and your wife."

"Sounds like a plan."

Nick shook his head and watched as Darius attacked the rest of his meal with renewed vigor, there was no trace of his earlier emotion. Nick looked at the ring on Darius's finger again. What had happened? Certainly it was something in the past. Nick knew that distant look someone got when they drifted into memory. Darius had been seeing something that made him sad. The question was, What had he seen?  Nick pushed away his curiosity. He should know better then anyone else that the past is something you can only share when you are ready. Someday perhaps Darius will share his past with him, but not tonight.

Nick settled back into his chair and smiled. Not so much because of his new friendship but because the excitement coming through his link with Natalie was infectious. It chased any lingering doubts about Darius out of his mind. Nick concentrating on finding the reason for her happiness only to discover himself blocked.

No peeking Nicky Boy! It's a surprise.

Nick hid his shock and curiosity but with almost twitching with excitement by the time he and Darius parted ways for the day.

Natalie was lighting the rest of the candles when she heard Nick start up the stairs. She quickly blew out her match, straightened her shirt and rushed out to meet her husband. Nick walked in the house, set down his case and threw his coat over a chair then looked around admiringly at their new home. The flat above Nat's coffee shop was a far cry from the little apartment they had been living in for the past few months. Though not nearly as big as Nick's old loft it was rather spacious. There was a small kitchen and a large living room that took up nearly all the space in the apartment. There was a hallway off the living room that led to two smaller bedrooms and the bathroom. The ceilings in the living room were almost as high as they had been in Nick's old loft. A door off the living room led to another large room. The door was closed but soft light shone under the door. 

Nick looked at the door quizzically then turned to look questioningly at Natalie. Natalie only smiled in response to his unspoken question and he made his way over to the door. The room beyond was filled with hundreds of candles (all in safe holders of course) and arranged tastefully around the room were objects and artifacts from the Loft. As well as some that Nick had kept in storage while he lived in Toronto. The walls were covered in Nick's paintings and pictures Natalie had found among his things. In the center of the room was the grand piano that Nick had at his Loft. Natalie heard Nick gasp when she saw the picture that rested on the piano.

It was a picture he and Natalie had taken together just after her conversion. It was the last picture they had taken in Toronto, but of course it had to be taken at night due to circumstances that you already know. It still showed them both smiling, both Nick and Natalie's unruly hair was rumpled and wind blown from her first flying lesson. But now instead of a dark night sky behind them there was a beautiful blue sunny day. Their faces and cheeks were highlighted by the sun. It looked perfect. Down to the slight reddish hue on their cheeks.

Natalie held her breath. She wasn't sure how Nick would react to this reminder of the quest he had worked hard to put behind him. But she had worked so hard, she wanted to make this a special occasion. Nat had planned to hang the picture in the coffee shop and all depended on Nick's reaction to it now. The emotions she was feeling from the link were all confused. He was happy to have all his things around him again. But there was something else....

Nick laid the picture gently down on the grand piano and turned to Natalie.

"Nat, I..." He stopped and shook his head. This was almost too much. Nothing so good had happened to him all at once for centuries. He was with  a person he loved more then I can describe in words and now he was surrounded by so many happy memories. There was something, a feeling he couldn't name....  Then it came to him. 

"I am finally Home!" 

Nick laughed and spun around in a circle. Nat ran to join him and clung on tightly to his chest as he twirled. When he finally slowed she looked up to meet his eyes. They were brimming with crimson tears. But for the first time in a while it was not from sadness but from joy. 

"You better like it! Do you have any idea how long it took me to do that picture! Colorize this, brighten that, then you wouldn't bel...."

She was interrupted when Nick caught her up in a kiss. Deep, soft and full of love. After a few minutes Natalie saw where he was headed and pushed him away with a sly grin. She grabbed his hand and led him over to another room that she had saved for last. Just off the Piano room was another small guest room. Nat led Nick to the door connecting the rooms and stopped him with another mischievous grin. 

"Close your eyes."

"But Nat!"

"Close 'em Nicky!"

Nick sighed playfully and closed 'em. Nat pushed open the door and carefully led her husband into the room. 

"All right, open them!" 

Nick opened his eyes and gasped. Arranged tastefully around the small room were some of his paintings. Even the large one that Schanke had critiqued had a spot along one wall. And scattered literally everywhere were hundreds of candles. It was perfect. He sank down onto one of the comfy cushions that lay about on the floor, overwhelmed. 

"Oh Nat!" Nick pulled her down beside him. "This is perfect. Its home. I am finally Home!" Nick leaned down to kiss Natalie and this time she responded back enthusiastically. 

Well, one thing led to another. I will let you use your own imagination.  Moving on.....


	11. Chapter Eleven

Pale slices of moonlight cut through the tiny cracks in the ceiling. They penetrated into the shadowed room below; faintly illuminating the dark council being held within. Dozens of shadowed figures lined the walls. There was no light but that faint rays of moonlight but the figures within needed nothing more than that. Rustling noises filled the silence as the figures shifted, their eyes glinted when they were touched by the pale light. Tension was so thick in the air it would have been hard to breathe. That is, if any of the figures had felt the need. Slowly, one of the shadows broke away and moved to the center of the room. Instantly all of the rustling stopped as that shadow became the sole focus of those in the room. The hooded figure halted in one of the moonlit patches on the ground and drew back its hood.

Her hair shone raven black in the darkness and her skin was ghostly pale as the moonlight caressed her face and her eyes seemed to glow with their own inner fire. Outwardly she appeared to be a child, barely more then seventeen but those who dared to look into her eyes knew different. Her eyes told a story thousands of years long, they spoke of an age and power that was rivaled by few among them. Slowly she spun, taking in and capturing the attention of everyone in the room. Those who dared to meet her eyes quickly looked away, intimidated and fearful of what they saw in them. 

Her voice, silken and lilting shattered the strained silence. It rolled into the entire room and filled even the darkest corners with its dark beauty.

"My people," The girl paused and glanced again at the others. "I call to order this council."

"We meet here under a matter of great importance. This is the first council that has been called a thousand of years and I assure you we do not gather here for a mere triviality. I have gathered the council to discuss the future survival of our very race." Again the child scanned the faces of the shadowy figures. Finding no challenge to her authority she removed a small manuscript from her robe and threw it down on the floor. Small flurries of dust swirled in the air above the paper then began to settle once again. A large dust bundle hung suspended in the air for just a moment longer before settling over the title on the manuscript. "Forever Knight."

"This is proof of their existence. The existence of the Writers.  This manuscript details the saga of a vampire named Nicholas Knight, a vampire that was created to entertain creatures from another world but was cast aside to live forever in a delicate balance between life and death. As each and every one of us was created and placed in this world to serve our purpose in a small story for the amusement of these strange creatures. They toy with us. They use us, place us in this world and then cast us aside as mere filler or bit characters. No longer must our great people suffer this injustice, we will not stand for being mere characters that can be molded and toyed with at will! We will expose them, we will break their power over us and all who live here will be free to play any part we desire!"

The small girl glanced around the room one more time before reaching her hand back into her robe. She pulled out a small round mirror, slightly tattered. She gently wiped her hands along the glass, removing the lint and dust. The girl held the mirror up to her face but instead of seeing her white, hard features, she saw a small girl, about 17, wearing superman pajamas and a fleece jacket typing away at a computer. The ancient child walked over to the nearest figure and held the mirror up to its face. Reflected in the glass was a slightly older gentleman in just boxers bent over a small typewriter. The raven-haired girl continued to walk around the circle, showing everyone what appeared in the mirror. Then she sauntered back to the center of the room. 

"Now you see. The mirrors reveal our the true forms of our Writers and through these windows into their world we can face or creators and break their hold.  We are the created but soon we shall be liberated. If we can all face our creators and shatter their hold then we will be free to choose our own destiny."

The girl focused on the small mirror again then she raised her arm and broke the mirror in a shower of razor sharp fragments. All at once the small girl gasped and fell to her knees. Her outline seemed to waver then sharpen again, then she jumped up and did a handstand. Something completely unexpected from some such a somber looking person yet she did it anyway. The small figure righted herself, fixed her skirts and called out.

"I broke character! It can be done, I am FREE!!!"

A cheer rose from the assembled figures. The time for liberation was at hand. 

=======

Far off, in another world, in a small room in a dim basement sat a small girl. She was only about 17 years of age, wearing superman pajamas and a fleece jacket. The girl was frantically pushing the backspace button on her computer but to no avail. This was supposed to be a care-free fanfic about what happened to Nick after Last Knight. Nothing like this was supposed to happen, yet the disastrous words had been spoken and the unspeakable act had been done. The fan fiction world as we know it was in jeopardy. If all the characters managed to break free then there could never be anymore fan fiction. Authors would no longer be able to bend or create new characters for stories. Something had to be done.

The girl took a long sip of her Gatorade, tightened her ponytail and frantically started typing. Abandoning all sense and writing skills to the pull of necessity. There were only six characters she knew that could stop the Liberation and she needed them together now!


	12. Chapter twelve

Darius shifted nervously again and impatiently checked his watch. He clicked his heels twice and peered again down at his watch.

"Late Nick." Darius shook his head. Then his ears perked up when he heard a familiar heavily accented voice drifting down the hallway. 

       "Mr. Sallenger, I had nothing to do with 'giving you' and F. You earned that all by yourself."

      "Come on man! I need this grade to stay on the team!" 

Darius smiled at the scene he could almost picture in his mind. The hardy, rather beefy Joe Sallenger, gesturing and pleading for an A and Nick staring on with his usual impassive glare. There was a setting up of opposites if ever there was one. Darius was still laughing when the young athlete in question stormed by him followed by the pale and impassive Nicholas. 

"Rough day?" Darius asked good-humoredly. 

"You have no idea. At least I finally managed to......persuade him to give up his silly argument. I am sorry for being ever so late."

"No problem, but we better hurry if you want to make it to the coffee shop right after it opens."

"Then lets be off!"

Nick and Darius arrived at N&N's café just as Natalie unlocked the door and hit the switch to light up the neon sign. As soon as she spotted Nick, Natalie ran out and flung her arms around him. She kissed him then nearly giggled with delight.

"Isn't this wonderful!" 

Nick smiled back at Natalie, washed away in the happiness that was fairly rolling off her. Even Darius seemed to feel it as his already jovial face split in a grin. Nick stepped back to allow Darius to see Nat.

"Darius, this is Nat. Nat, Darius. He is a friend of mine from work."

"Nice to meet you Darius!" Natalie shook hands with Darius. Who, by the way, was blushing. Natalie is a very pretty woman after all.  

Darius checked his watch again then beamed up at the happy couple before him. "My wife should be here after she gets of work, maybe another five minutes or so." 

"Well come on in and make yourself at home!" Natalie grabbed Darius by the hand and literally dragged him into the café. 

As soon as Darius was settled into a comfy chair and provided with coffee, Natalie whisked away to cater to several new customers who had just bustled in. Nick sauntered over and collapsed his lean frame gracefully onto the couch across from Darius. 

"She is something." Darius exclaimed. 

"She sure is." Nick smiled and laid his head back on the couch. The picture of contentment. 

"Aren't you going to have any coffee?"

Nick and Darius were chatting quietly while Natalie served her latest customers. She had just picked up a full tray of cups when the door chime sounded. On the grand opening night of N&N's this was not necessarily a rare thing but for some reason everyone looked to see the new comer. Off their guard and expecting no surprises they only turned out of curiosity. Little did anyone know what that single chime would mark, that the world they knew was about to shift. 

Her hair was longer now, pulled back in a severe ponytail that accentuated the strong lines in her lean face. Her face had a few more lines then it had before and she seemed more tired and drawn but there was no mistaking Tracy Vetter. She stood in the doorway and surveyed the room with her classic Tracy pose.

As soon as Tracy walked in, three things happened simultaneously. Natalie choked back a scream but slipped and dropped her tray of cups. They went crashing down onto her latest customers, drenching everyone in coffee. Nick really did scream and only through sheer force of will managed to resist his highly developed instincts for self-preservation that were screaming for him to run far far away and soon as possible. Darius stood and waved Tracy over to the table with a dopey smile on his face. 

Darius seemed to have missed Nat and Nicks adverse reactions and smiled brightly as his wife came over to meet him. Tracy stalked over to her beaming husband but smile faltered when she saw Nick. Her hands balled into fists and her eyes snapped as far open as was humanly possible. Nick could see she was quivering with unspent anger. Shoving his screaming instincts both of a vampire and a man as far into the back of his mind as possible, Nick managed to adopt a weak smile of welcome and actually look Tracy in the eyes. 

"Nick, this is my wife, Tracy."

"Nice to meet you Tracy." Nick bowed slightly and offered his hand. He managed just in time to maintain his French accent and not accidentally slip back into Nick Knight mode. Tracy took his hand and gave a friendly, if a little firm, handshake. 

A thousand questions were screaming in Nick's mind. Most of which, you probably have yourself. How did she survive in Toronto? Why was she here? How long had she been married to Darius? But Nick swallowed his questions for now, this was not the time or the place and instead he turned and called to Natalie.

Natalie was desperately scraping and scrubbing at the coffee all over her new chairs that she had fought so hard to get. Plus, she was having to apologize profusely to the sodden customers. Must not get sued on the first day, Must not get sued.... As soon as she heard Nicks call everything came back to her. The full import of the present situation came crashing down and for the first time she wondered if vampires could faint. 

Natalie tossed a towel to the hired help and ran her fingers through her chestnut hair. Time to face the music. Natalie brushed at a few drying coffee spots on her t-shirt to avoid having to look at Tracy's face. Tracy showing up in New York, and married to Nick's new best friend seemed too coincidental to Natalie. As it well should. But, like Nick, Natalie was forced to shove away her questions and put a smile on her face, which wasn't so hard, she was happy to she Trace again. Natalie walked over to where the trio was standing and offered her hand to Tracy.

"Hello Tracy, my name is Natalie, you can call me Nat."

Tracy smiled genuinely at Nat. 

"I'm Tracy, it is nice to meet you too."

"When did you guys move here?" Nick asked quickly. 

"Last year sometime. I got a job offer to teach here and we both felt that this was the place we needed to be."


	13. Chapter Thirteen

"Nick, I have a question for you." Darius leaned forward in his chair and slid his hands around his coffee cup. "My class was discussing modern myths the other day and we got onto a discussion about Vampires."

Nick, Natalie, and Tracy all started and glanced at one another. Well, rather, Tracy looked at Natalie but steadfastly avoided even looking at Nick. 

Darius hesitated when he noticed the interaction but once they all centered their gaze back on him, he continued.

"Well, we were discussing their basis in fact and some of the students pointed out that there are people today who at least believe that they need to ...drink....certain quantities of blood to survive. But, I really didn't pay much attention to that but what I did find fascinating was that one student pointed out that life for a vampire must be incredibly sad."

Natalie moved her hand ever so slightly to touch Nick's. She could feel his tension through their link. But there was no way to turn the conversation without drawing attention. Tracy noticed Nick's tension about the particular topic but through more normal means. Nick never was any good at hiding his emotions. 

Darius continued, oblivious. 

"It struck me as interesting because most people associate vampires with seduction. The freedom of immortality and draw of power. Very little is ever said about the consequences. Personally I think that if one is willing to become a vampire, even with the knowledge that their very existence will relay on the death of countless others, then they are not the type of people who would feel the pain of a mortal friends passing or anything."

"Well, my friend. That is an interesting topic you have chosen." Nick smiled sadly.

Natalie put her hand more firmly over his and Tracy began to feel some of her anger dissipate at the look of lost hope on Nick's face. 

Nick continued. "I believe that the pull of the seduction and the dark power of being a Vampire often blind one to any of the consequences. You enter into it blinded by the dark beauty of the thing you will become. Only after, when the deed is done does the full impact of what you are really hit you. Not until after the first taste of rich, hot blood, the ultimate feeling of control when you take the very spark of life from an innocent to feed your immortal hunger do you truly understand. But, then it is too late to turn back. Too late. It is then that the vampire faces two paths. One, the most common, they stop caring. They free themselves from the mortal coils of fear and guilt and live to fill their hunger. The second, and by far the least common, they hold onto their pain, their guilt, and they keep it with them for all eternity. Instead of reveling in their nature they fight it, they ignore their needs and deny what they are. This path always leads to disaster. Sooner or later they have to face the Beast they have become and those around them will pay the price."

Nick looked at Tracy. He had apologized, explained, no he needed to know if she understood. Tracy dipped her head in response to his quiet plea. She would forgive him. Natalie saw their exchange and smiled weakly. The strong emotions from Nick were exhausting, Natalie got up and filled three dark coffee mugs, two for her and Nick, one for Tracy. Natalie came back and handed out the "coffee." Both Tracy and Nick nodded their thanks. Darius on the other hand was staring blankly at Nick. He barely even noticed when Natalie got up and came back. 

"Wow, you should right that down or make it into a television show or something. You know, a good vampire who is trying to deny what he is, and then it ends tragically." Darius added absently. "Do you read a lot about vampires or fantasy?"

Nick laughed softly. "No. Something's you just know."

Nick walked out into the early morning air and flushed out his dormant lungs. Leaning back on the wall Nick let out a sigh. It had been a long night. The weight of the day seemed to settle down on his shoulders and the ancient vampire felt suddenly tired. So much had happened so quickly. His former partner had not only come back from the dead but also married his best friend and taken up residence in the same city as himself. Nothing was that coincidental. 

All around him, the world was starting to wake and for the first time he did not feel sorrow because he couldn't join them. Everyone has his place in the world and after eight hundred years of confusion and searching, Nick had finally contented himself with his. But, the turmoil in his mind shattered his new found happiness. There were so many questions! 

Nick shrugged and pushed away from the wall. No point in ruining his chance to satisfy his curiosity by bursting into flames. As Nick turned to head back into N&N's he stopped to take one more deep breath of the crisp morning air. A familiar scent caught Nick's attention and he sniffed again. It was strange; he couldn't place it but that particular scent reminded him of something, of someone. The threatening rays of the sun began to peek menacing out from behind the buildings and Nick struggled to place that particular smell before he retreated inside...

Smells like.....  Souvlaki and...Garlic?

Then it hit him. Only one person in the world, or at least in the western hemisphere, smelled like that on a perpetual basis. 

But that's impossible! He died in Toronto!

Nick spun around to see if he could trace the source of the scent and a familiar voice greeted his ears. 

"......Between you me and the lamppost, this has got to be the worst hot dog I have ever......"

Nick didn't catch the rest. He was off like a shot, following his senses to where ever that voice was coming from. The sun's rays started to rake down onto the street but Nick forced himself to ignore his instinct to find cover. He had to find out! He had to. 

Sticking to the rapidly shrinking shadows Nick managed to make it close to where he estimated the voice had come from. Only the corner of a building stood in the way. All Nick had to do was glance around that small barrier of stone and he would find out if what he was hearing was imagination or not. 

Cautiously Nick snaked his around the corner. He kept his body close to the wall so he could see around but no one on the other side could easily see him. 

And reality shifted just a little more.

Nick nearly fainted in surprise. There he was. The familiar profile of a person he had thought was long dead. Even though the formerly round frame was diminished there was no mistaking Don Schanke. Every little thing about his former partner came rushing back as Nick watched Schanke argue with the hotdog vendor. Even the hand gestures were uniquely Schanke. 

Nick watched, frozen, as Schanke argued with the vendor. After a few minutes the man finally relented and dug into his pocket to produce a greasy five dollar bill. His held it out to Schanke and Nick watched breathlessly as Schanke snatched the money with a muffled... "Well thanks for nothing!" 

This was too much. This was way too much. 

This could not be happening.

This should not be happening

This isn't happening.

Nick was sure the image of Schanke would shatter when he touched the vendor's hand and this fantasy would turn out to be just that, a dream. But, the figure of Schanke remained. Solid and as real as ever. 

Nick's reminiscing broke off as Schanke turned to head right towards him. Quickly he pulled himself back from the corner and flattened himself in the shadows along the side of the building. It seemed funny to hide from a ghost. Schanke walked lazily by rubbing his hands together and whistling tunelessly. Nick almost reached out but his hands felt leaden. He could hardly bear to breathe. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. Never. Nick stared open-mouthed at Schanke's retreating back. Then before he could think on it any longer he moved slightly away from his protective veil of shadows and called out in his best Nick Knight voice. 

"Schanke!"

Schanke whirled around and stared open mouthed at Nick. Nick took a step to go up and touch this apparition but ran out of shadow after the first step and had to draw back, hissing.

"Nick? Man oh man! Is that you?"

"I think so. How did you..... ?"

"What? Get here? I drove. No more planes for me!"

The shadow shrunk another inch.

"Where are you staying?"

"Don't know yet, just got in actually. I just felt like I needed to get to New York as quickly as possible."

"Why don't you stay here with me and Natalie? We would love to catch up with what you have been up too."

Nick couldn't believe it. He was actually talking to Schanke again. And he invited him over! Man oh man was right. What exactly do you say to a ghost?

The shadow shrunk another inch and Nick's shoe was in the sun.

"Look, Schank, I would love to chat all day but I really do need to get back. Remember how me and sunlight don't mix."

"Sure Nicky boy. Lead on, I can't wait to see you and Natalie. Jeez, that is such a coincidence. You and me and Natalie all here in the big Apple. It's a small world after all! Huh!"

Somehow, he never quite remembered, Nick managed to make it back with burns only on one side of his body. 

Things were looking up. 

Yeah,

right.

The appearance of Schanke tipped the scales. Nothing like this was supposed to happen in the real world. Dead mortals do not come back to life and congregate in New York just because they feel like it. (Pun intended)

Nick and Natalie stayed up into late in the day discussing it. Schanke had gone out to shop and let them sleep earlier. They hadn't been able to get him to tell the how he managed to survive the bomb. He had always side stepped the issue. But this was too much.

Way too much.

Something was happening. For some reason they were all being gathered. That much Nick and Nat had decided. Before they turned in for the day they finally decided to share with their group. They needed to get everyone together and get questions answered.  

Darius sat in Nick's black leather chair. Schanke was leaning against the mantel, trying to be inconspicuous, Natalie was in the kitchen busy setting the table and preparing a meal. But everyone's full attention was on the pair verbally dueling in the middle of the room. 

"You should have told me!"

"You know the code stopped me from telling you! I was trying to save your life!"

"Well I nearly died anyways! Vachon never worried about the Code."

"That's because I told him he was to protect you from the Enforcers or I would kill him myself."

"I can't believe you! I trusted you with my life."

"I know and I am truly sorry. Code or no, I should have told you." Nick turned to Schanke, "and you."

Nick looked back at Tracy and after some telepathic nudging from Natalie, Nick bowed his head and took Tracy's hand in his own. 

"I was wrong. I was different then. Can you please forgive me for my ignorance?" 

All the fire seemed to leave Tracy's eyes. Nick was still the same, no matter what he said. There was no way she could resist that puppy dog look. 

"Fine, fine." Tracy laughed tiredly. "I am tired or being moody all the time anyway. Besides, I think there are bigger things happening here."

"Wait" Darius and Schanke both yelled at the same time. Then Schanke continued, "Am I the only one here who has been lost since they came through the door? I think we need to be filled in on a few important points here."

Darius mumbled his agreement. 

Nick sighed. Oh this was too much. Pinching the bridge of his nose he glanced at Tracy and Nat. They both nodded encouragingly so Nick began. Without his french accent. 

"Natalie and I, are not what you would classify as human. Actually, we are umm....well. We are Vampires." Darius and Schanke both looked at one another and burst out laughing. 

"You're kidding right?"

"No, I assure you I am not kidding."

Darius piped in, "So could you guys show us your fangs or something?"

"No," Nick grimaced and glanced at Natalie she chuckled and shrugged. Why did they always want to see the fangs? "That's so clichéd and rather crass showmanship so I am told."

"Believe us or not, but the truth remains that we are vampires." Natalie concluded

from the kitchen.

Both Darius and Schanke fell silent and glanced nervously around. 

"Tracy, you don't seem to find this hard to believe." Darius squeaked.

"Dear, there are some things you just have to accept. Believe me when I say that they are being absolutely serious."

And then it hit him. Nick never ate or drank anything when they went out after classes. He only worked the night even though there would have been more demand for day classes in French, and he was so pale.....

Darius gasped and laid back in his chair, stunned.

As Darius was connecting his experiences so was Schanke. That strange quest he had so long ago came back to him.

"LaCroix lied! He said you weren't a....a... vampire!"

"He never lied Schank. He only asked you what you really thought and you dismissed the idea on your own." 

Schanke walked over and flopped into a chair. 

"Man oh man."

"You said it," added Darius.

"Dinner's ready" chimed Natalie from the kitchen. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

The scene seemed surreal after the discussion a few minutes ago. They all sat benignly around the table chatting about small things. Everyone was helping themselves to hamburgers and French fries while Natalie and Nick sipped politely out two black coffee mugs with a bottle on the table before them.

It was Tracy who shattered the scene. 

"Why are we all here?"

"I think people have been asking that question forever." Quipped Darius sarcastically.

"Not like that silly!" Tracy kicked her husband under the table and he smiled at her sweetly.

Nick chuckled and replied. "It does seem rather odd that we are all here."

Schanke shrugged. Darius leaned forward and looked around at everyone gathered at the table. 

"Why? Is this not...." he laughed. "normal? I think I got left behind again."  
  


Natalie looked at Darius sympathetically. He was the newcomer in this bunch.

"Sorry Darius. I think we keep forgetting that you don't already know all the facts." Natalie continued. "The thing is, Nick and I are vampires. That's not....normal." She gestured at Schanke. "Don Schanke died in Toronto when his plane exploded shortly after take off. There was only one survivor, thanks to Nick, I was one of the coroners responsible for identifying the bodies. I...identified his body myself." 

Nick squeezed Natalie's hand comfortingly and used their link to give her some relief form that memory. Natalie looked at Nick thankfully and continued after a few minutes.

"Tracy was hit when a bullet meant for Nick passed though him. She was pronounced dead shortly before I went to see Nick on a particularly fateful night."

"You were a coroner? But you're a vampire. How did you....."

Natalie chuckled weakly. "Vampire is what I am not my job. Besides, I was human then, I'm not very...old."

Darius leaned back in his chair and let out a heavy sigh. Then he started to chuckle and finally he started to laugh in earnest. Nick looked at him worriedly but Darius quickly recovered. 

"I'm sorry....ha.... I just realized that everyone here is dead but me."

Everyone shared a smile. 

"So, now I understand. Gosh. This is like an episode from the Twilight Zone."

Tracy looked quizzically at her husband. "We all agree that we felt called to come here so now we need to know why."

Just like Tracy, straight to business.

"I think the best way to start would be to explain how we all got here in the first place." Schanke admitted.

"I agree." Darius exclaimed, "and we should start with you, Nick."

Nick pushed away from the table slightly and sipped from his mug. 

"Nothing too exciting really. After I thought you had died in Toronto Trace I packed up to leave. I was all set to go but for some reason I just couldn't let go. Natalie came by while I was wrestling with myself and I made some mistakes." 

"We both did" Natalie added softly.

"Yes, we both did. Anyway, LaCroix convinced me to bring Nat across and so she became as she is now. We spent a few months away from people while she adjusted then we decided to rejoin the world. For reason I chose to return to New York. I thought it would be fun for Natalie but looking back I don't even think that was why. I knew I ran a risk of discovery but I felt like this was where we should go. And here we are."

Nick sat back and took a long drink from his mug.

Darius shook his head, puzzled. It was still so hard to believe that the two sitting before him were real vampires. Discussing it in class was one thing. Being friends with one was something different. But he pushed the disbelief away, they had to keep going.

"I think that takes care of Nick and Nat." Darius nodded in their direction. "Now I guess it is our turn Trace." Darius smiled at Tracy. She reached across the table and squeezed his hand reassuringly. 

"My wife was in the hospital in Toronto at the same time that Tracy went in. My wife, she had...." Darius paused to wipe his eyes gently. "My wife had terminal cancer and it was only a matter of time.." 

Tracy squeezed his hand again. 

"My wife's condition got worse until she had to be put into the ICU. I would visit her everyday. Even after she stopped responding and slipped into a coma. Finally she was moved to the coma ward to live out her last few days."

Darius sniffed and Tracy had to continue his story.

"I was in the same room as his wife. After you guys left, I went into cardiac arrest but they managed to bring me back. After that I slipped into a coma for nearly three months. Darius would come and say hi to me everytime he came to see his wife. Or so I'm told."

Tracy smiled at her husband and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Darius continued. "Even after my wife....passed.....I still came to visit Tracy. It made me feel like I still had a reason to live. She really had no one else who came to spend time with her. In fact, I was already in love with her before she ever woke up. But when she finally pulled out of it I was the first face to greet her. Of course, it took a lot of sweet talking from me to make the nurses let me stay, but it was worth it."

Tracy smiled and finished, "We were married a few weeks after I woke up and Dar took a job in New York shortly after that. He wasn't going to take it but we both just decided that we needed to make the move. And here we are."

Everyone turned to Schanke. 

"Your turn Schanke." Nick intoned. 

Everyone chuckled nervously. For some reason, they all felt that they were on the right track, that this was something they had all been called there to do. It is a very odd and puzzling feeling; the feeling that you are just part of some plot; all characters in the hands of some unknown entity.

Schanke closed his eyes for a moment and began.

"I was just going to ask the flight attendant for some more peanuts when it happened. I saw a flash of fire and intense light and I could hear screams everywhere around me. I still hear them sometimes in my dreams."

Schanke looked down at the floor and pushed a crumb with the toe of his shoe. 

"I don't remember much. I was in such pain for what seemed like hours but it was only a few seconds, if even that. I think I died in that explosion but I didn't stay dead. I woke up on a bed of silk, in some stupid tux and dead flowers in my hands. Five guesses where that was. You don't want to hear what it was like to crawl out of your own grave, believe you me. After I finally made it out I knew I couldn't go back. I just couldn't face my life again. So I left. I wandered all over. Until I felt this irresistible urge to come to New York. So, what else am I goin' do? You know? I came here. I stopped to get a hot-dog and the rest is history. "

Nick opened his mouth to offer comfort but he froze in mid-word. Natalie froze with the coffee cup halfway to her lips. Everyone was captured for a moment completely still. Trapped out of time. Behind Tracy a small figure started to materialize. She appeared to be about 17 and was were superman pajamas but without the fleece jacket because she didn't need it in that world. The small figure appeared and began moving through the frozen figures, headed for the.....


	15. Chapter fifteen

"Excuse me."

Yes?

"You can take a break for coffee or tea or something. I don't think we really need any description right now."

All right, that's cool. Just call when you need me back, I am going to the snack bar.

"Thanks. All right we are finally alone."

plink, plink or if you have an LCD screen thud-squish, thud-squish 

"Are you awake out there? The world sure looks different from this side of the screen. I need to hurry but I think freezing time managed to free up a few moments for some conversation. I just wanted to apologize for shamelessly putting myself in this story but I have to do it in the name of authors everywhere. You understand, that without characters that we can shape to our will then original fiction will disappear and you will have nothing to read on the weekends or when you're bored. All is fair in Love and War. Or something like that."

"Hey! Narrator!"

mmph......yess.........gulp

"You can start again. Oh yeah, and you got something on your chin....right.....there!"

Thanks. Mmm....strawberry. 

cough Okay, here we go.....

The small figure finally reached the shadows in the corner then snapped her fingers. Immediately the characters snapped back to life. The small figure watch for a few moments then took a step into the room. Immediately everyone stopped talking and turned to face the intruder. Nick launched to his feet but a small gesture from the pajama clad girl forced him to plop down in his chair again. 

"Stay right there Mr. Nick if you wish to have your questions answered."

Nick forced himself to settle back in his chair again but was by no means relaxed. Neither was anyone else, they all sat rigid in their chairs, staring at the intruder.

The girl continued. 

"My name is Rachel. I am the one who brought you all here."

All the people looked at one another skeptically. How could some one like that, a small child in pajamas, have called them together? 

Tracy opened her mouth and drew a breath for a question but the figure again canceled her actions with a wave of her hand. 

Natalie spoke quickly before she could be silenced as well.

"How did you call us here?"

Rachel looked around the kitchen at all the characters gathered there. Then she spoke. 

"I am Writer."

"But that's impossible! Everyone knows the Writers are just myths, I mean come on. No person from another world controls my destiny just by writing it down." Darius announced confidently.

"Wrong Darius. I control you, I am the Writer that created you. We are not just myths. It was a Writer that gave each and everyone of you the personality and appearance you have now. Without Writers none of you can change or grow and none of you would have even existed in the first place."

Almost everyone started to ask questions but again Rachel silenced them.

"No time for questions! Your world is at stake and only you six can save it. _When the Liberation comes, six shall turn it back. Three from the circle, three from the track, that's Tracy, Nick, Nat, Darius, Schanke and.... darn_ it! I forgot the sixth. No time to introduce him now.." The girl snapped her fingers and Lacroix suddenly appeared at the dinner table with a small glass already in his hand.

"There that makes six. I have called you all here because the world as you know it is about to change. There is a faction among you who is calling for their freedom from the Writers. They plan to start the Liberation tomorrow at Madison Square Gardens."

Lacroix looked at the glass in his hand and then over at Nick and Natalie, a confused expression on his face.

"How.....?"

"How do they plan to break their threads to a Writer? In your world, mirrors are a link between this realm and mine. Therefore, very rarely are mirrors ever used in this world because they do not show your reflection but the reflection of your Writer. Its complicated....anyway......Somehow these characters have gotten their hands on enough mirrors to reveal the truth to everyone who will gather at the Garden tomorrow."

"No!" Lacroix exclaimed. "I mean how did I get here?"

"That's easy, I wrote you here. But no time for explanation! Moving on.... Someone in the Liberation has already broken the thread to her Writer. Me. Once she was free she gained the abilities of a Writer and she is gathering as many characters as possible tomorrow the same way I gathered you all. To save your world, these misguided characters must be stopped."

"How come you can't just write an end to all this?" Tracy asked.

"Its one of the laws that govern the Writers. I just can't steal and change any character I choose. Only the ones I create are directly under my control."

The mysterious girl stopped to breathe. Time was of the essence so she breathed quickly.

"However, I represent the Writers in this matter and I have chosen you six to stop the Liberation."

"What if we want freedom from our Writers?" asked Darius 

"I told you! Your character would start to break down almost immediately after you were separated from your Writer. Every character will become the same mindless drones after they break free from the personality and imagination of a Writer."

Everyone sat stunned. This was too much to take in. All that Writer stuff was just religious nonsense. Yet here they were faced with saving the world from separation from the Writers world. No one was more stunned then Lacroix who had no idea how he gotten there.

"How do you expect us to help you?" Natalie asked skeptically.  

The girl hung her head. "Look, everyone, the fact remains that if the Liberation is allowed to begin tomorrow then the world as you know it will cease to exist. I cannot force most of you. I am only borrowing you, so you must decide now!"

Every one looked around. Finally Schanke spoke. 

"I don't care if you are over exaggerating or not. We have to do it."

"I agree. I think this was what we were called here to do." Darius added

"Sounds like an adventure!" Natalie added excitedly.

"All right, I'm game." Tracy said

"Whatever." Muttered Nick.

"Where am I?" Demanded Lacroix. 


	16. Chapter Sixteen

"They plan on distributing the Leaks or mirrors at the concert tonight at the Gardens. Sometime during the show they are going to announce their purpose and show others how to free their character. Most likely the little girl ring leader will be here...."

The girl pointed to a stack of pickles in the middle of the table that represented the stage.

"I can transport Darius into that stage and he can distract her while the rest of you take care of the sentinels on patrol around and above the stage. Once we are sure the coast is clear then we remove the girl. Once we touch, my thread should reconnect and she will be mine to control again."

Nick gestured at the mustard and pickle map on the table.  

"How many of us can you transport?"

"Only Darius since I created him but you all I merely borrowed so I have limited freedom with your character."

Darius stared open mouthed at the small girl. Not only was she a Writer, but she was his Writer. Amazing.

"How am I supposed to distract her?"

"That's simple. I am going to give you all the powers of a Writer. With that ability and the added power of imagination that you have from your thread to me you should have no trouble." 

"She doesn't have imagination? I don't understand?"

"She only has what I gave her and nothing more. Once she shattered our link her development stopped. She is stuck."

Darius nodded gravely.

Nick looked at Lacroix. "What do you think we should do General?"

Lacroix perked up and answered in his usual smooth tone. "I believe you should take out the air patrols and look outs before putting Darius in the center of things. That should give us a great amount of freedom in getting to the girl."

"Sounds good to me! Let's go." Rachel chirped quickly and started to get up. 

"Wait! How do we take care of all the people once the girl is out of the way?"

Rachel sighed. Why did I make them so inquisitive? 

"Once she is mine again her powers as a Free Character will disappear. Most likely, no one there will even remember why they came. Some fast writing from me should take care of any pesky mirrors laying around."

Everyone nodded their agreement. It was time to act. All six stood and followed Rachel, still in her pajamas, out of the kitchen.


	17. The Final Chapter! Yay!

With a growl, Lacroix and Nick managed to destroy the last rouge character on lookout. A quick signal to Natalie and the remaining four joined them in the shadows above the stage. 

"Did you all take out your assigned areas?" Rachel demanded quietly.

Everyone nodded gravely. 

"That was too easy." muttered Nick.

"I made sure they weren't paying attention I may not be omnipotent but I can manage some small things."

"We are all set to execute the plan." Tracy reminded.

"Good." Rachel looked a Darius and snapped her fingers. Darius's outline wavered then sharpened. "Now you have the abilities of a Writer. All you have to do is imagine it to make it real. We are all counting on you to distract her. You can do it."

In a flash, Darius was on the stage. The small girl was standing at the front yelling into the audience and receiving wild cheers. In her hand was a small mirror and every once in awhile she would wave it about. Darius didn't stop to find out what she was yelling. 

In the back of his mind he could hear Rachel's voice. 

"I created you to be a foil for Nick and a source of humor but you are destined to be something greater. The fate of both our worlds lies in your hands."

Darius rubbed his sweating palms together. This was way too much. In just a few hours he had gone from sipping coffee to meeting his creator. Too much! But the calm voice in his mind gave him courage. Still sweating, Darius walked slowly forward on shaking knees.

"All you have to do is imagine it to make it real."

What would be distracting? Hot pink bunnies. Definitely.

Suddenly the whole stage was filled with hot pink bunnies all hopping around, and clucking.

A roar of laughter went up from the audience. The girl whirled around and nearly collapsed at the site. Darius strode confidently up to her and stared challengingly into her eyes. What he saw there made him gasp. Her eyes were strangely flat like there was really nothing behind them. 

So that's what happens when we break from the Writer, we lose all our depth.

The girl turned a fierce red and screamed. Her raven-black hair shook with her fury.

"How dare you interfere!"

"What you are doing here is wrong! These people need the Writers or they won't be whole!"

"Never! All the writers do is manipulate and destroy we must be FREE!"

The girl clapped her hands and the bunnies suddenly burst into flame and disappeared.

"You're wrong! They created us and we owe them our loyalty."

Darius saw a small figure in pajamas creep onto the stage behind the furious girl before him. He needed to think of something else quickly.

With a small crackling noise the whole stage filled up with tiny little people all dancing around on rainbows. The audience shrieked again. Darius looked around at his creations and wondered about the state of his mental health if such things dwelt in his imagination. 

The girl shrieked again but was abruptly silenced by a strong, clear call behind her.

"Your mine!" cried Rachel as she lunged forward and grabbed the girl in a big hug. 

The whole audience fell silent. Nothing was heard anywhere. Then one by one the characters gathered began to turn away from the stage and file out. Meanwhile, all the colorful people had disappeared the instant that Rachel and the girl had touched. Tracy and the others walked slowly and cautiously out onto the stage and looked around. No sign of what had just been remained anywhere. The girl laid unconscious on the ground and Rachel was kneeling beside her. As soon as everyone was on the stage, Rachel looked up and glanced around.

"It's done then." Rachel hung her head wearily. 

"I am sorry to have used you but it was the only way I knew to stop her. For your service I will give you each a gift. Only a small one because my role in this story draws to a close and my power wanes."

Painfully, the Writer walked over to Lacroix.

"I had hoped to give you a bigger role but I was forced to limit your character. To you I grant a staring role in my next story."

Lacroix bowed his thanks and disappeared.

Next Rachel walked over to Tracy.

"You too had a minor role. You were never met for this story I am sorry for disturbing you. To you I grant a future in a story with Vachon."

Tracy bobbed her head and disappeared.

Then Rachel walked over to Schanke.

"I neglected you too. You were always my favorite. Your questions will be answered by a man with a Scotish accent very soon. I promise."

Schanke smiled and disappeared.

Next she turned to Nick and Nat.

"You too will have happiness in this story forever. Go back to your lives."

They disappeared as well.

Then she turned to Darius.

"I set you free Darius. Not like the freedom you would have gained by force but true freedom. Go and be whomever you want. Only you will remember this night."

Darius reached out to hug Rachel but she and the unconscious girl disappeared. 

"Farewell Darius."

Then everything around turned gray.

Nick was laughing softly. All around them was the bustle of that opening night at N&N's. Across from him sat his wife, his real wife. He nearly wept but remembered quickly that no one but he remembered that in another story, his wife had died so that Tracy could be in New York with him at the proper time. So Darius contented himself with smiling weakly at his wife and squeezing her hand.

He was distracted when he realized Nick was saying something.

"Some things you just know."

"Whether you want to or not." Darius admitted.

_-the end- _

plink plink still awake? I am amazed. 

Support a Writer and make her day, always take the time to comment on their work.

Toodles.


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